<正>Because of the rapidly changing nature of our global cultural environment and the role of literacy in enhancing personal,social and cultural development,the concept of literacy is now expanding to include digital,visual and electronic media and popular culture.First,this paper identifies three primary rationales which are emerging from various stakeholders in education and government in both developed and developing nations who support media literacy.I identify the primary instructional models which are now being used in informal and formal educational settings to promote media literacy.Next,I examine the various approaches to teacher education which are used in formal and informal learning environments,exploring some characteristics of the"self-taught"teacher as contrasted with those who receive more formal training in media literacy.Finally,I examine how media literacy may impact the development of key learning outcomes,including motivation,citizenship skills,and print literacy competencies.I consider the educational and social implications of expanding the concept of literacy to include critical analysis of media texts and media composition/production practices. Media literacy aims to respond to the complex relationship that people have with media,popular culture and the technologies of communication.Media literacy is often defined as the ability to access,analyze,evaluate and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms.Most scholars and practitioners in media literacy conceptualize it by emphasizing three elements:(1) a personal focus on accessing and using media and technology;(2) the process of critically analyzing and evaluating the content,form and contexts of media messages and media systems and institutions;and (3) the ability to compose or create messages using digital,visual and electronic tools for purposes of self-expression,communication and advocacy. In informal settings like museums,technology centers and libraries,media literacy projects often target particular groups to provide enrichment programs or access to digital technologies.This work helps young people develop communication skills in a collaborative learning environment often focused on a subject or problem that is relevant to a particular community or neighborhood setting.When media literacy is employed in school settings,it is often incorporated within mother tongue instruction,citizenship or health,with more formal lessons and activities in media analysis and media production.In both informal and formal settings,media production activities may or may not incorporate the emphasis on critical analysis of media messages.Because of the rapidly changing nature of our global cultural environment and the role of literacy in enhancing personal,social and cultural development,the concept of literacy is now expanding to include digital,visual and electronic media and popular culture.This paper explores these questions:Why is media literacy important? What instructional models are used in informal and formal educational settings to promote media literacy? What approaches to teacher education are used in various settings? And how does media literacy impact the development of print literacy competencies?